The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with new requirements governing the distribution of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, adopting rules that closely track a President Donald Trump executive order even after a federal judge blocked enforcement of that directive.
USPS announced the new guidelines Friday, outlining conditions states would have to meet for the Postal Service to distribute mail-in and absentee ballots. The changes stem from Trump’s March executive order aimed at tightening requirements surrounding mail voting.
The details are contained in a 95-page USPS report scheduled to be formally published Aug. 26. Under the plan, states seeking Postal Service distribution of mail ballots would be required to provide information identifying voters considered eligible based on citizenship data, similar to provisions contained in Trump’s executive order.
States would have until 60 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections to inform USPS that they intend to provide a list of eligible voters based on citizenship information. The Postal Service would then distribute mail-in or absentee ballots to those residents.
Postmaster General David Steiner indicated in June that USPS planned to follow Trump’s directive. Testifying before senators, Steiner said the new approach was designed to ensure “the right ballots are going to the right people.”
But in August, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide order blocking implementation of the president’s directive. Talwani said making significant changes to election procedures so close to the midterms could produce unnecessary “confusion” and “chaos.”
“That it is now less than 90 days before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections underscores the critical need for an injunction to prevent Defendants from changing election rules on the eve of the election,” Talwani wrote in her ruling.
The White House defended its election agenda following the court decision. Spokesperson Lauren Bis said the administration “will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact – which includes the safety and security of American elections.”
Trump has long criticized widespread use of mail-in voting and has repeatedly alleged that the system is susceptible to extensive voter fraud, claims that have not been substantiated by evidence demonstrating widespread fraud through mail ballots.
The president also sharply criticized a Supreme Court ruling in late June that upheld the counting of mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received afterward. Trump described the ruling as a “tremendous loss in the Supreme Court.”
Mail voting continues to represent a substantial portion of ballots cast nationwide. According to a June report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 30.3% of votes in the 2024 general election were cast by mail — nearly one out of every three ballots and significantly above the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump has also continued pressing Congress to enact stricter federal voting requirements. During an interview in August, he declined to dismiss the possibility of declaring a national emergency if the Senate failed to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act.
The legislation would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and to present photo identification when casting ballots at polling places.
Asked about the possibility of taking emergency action if the measure did not pass, Trump left the door open.
“Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
